On a dark and stormy night, a lost traveler stumbled into the unknown. With only a dim lantern to guide her, she moved softly and quickly, afraid that any lightning crack now could reveal something she didn't wish to see.
Of course, in the Everfree Forest, the worst of the worst only made itself known when it was ready to strike.
Through the brush and the wind and the rain she continued to move, her heart pumping faster and faster. For she had the distinct feeling she was being watched: and that it was somehow growing darker by the second.
"It's alright... no beastie worth its mind would come in this," she thought. "Not even the ones in these woods...."
However, a sudden shifting of nearby brush contradicted this.
"Or maybe they're crazy enough to try!" she gasped.
She shivered upon this, winced, and continued to move. If she had her bearings right, Ponyville was just ahead: home. It would be safety... sanctuary from this strange, wild place. She would like nothing more to curl up by the fireplace with a good book, enjoying a glass of milk and a Sweet Apple Acres' pie: even if she couldn't read.
The Everfree Forest was something everypony knew bout, but none had barely scratched the surface of what true horrors and mysteries lay within. Ever since the old Royal Palace was obliterated centuries ago, a shard of darkness seemed to infest it...
And at that instant, she realized one thing: the forest was very angry about this. For as she glanced above, to her horror, she noticed the canopy was slowly being enveloped by a snarl of black, ghostly tendrils, the source of the decreasing light.
"T-This must be my imagination!" she gasped to herself, chuckling maniacally.
Then came an almost sadistic, high pitched ringing sound, her eardrums feeling like they were about to explode.
"Oh god - what's that sound?!" she cried. "S-Something is wrong with my mind! I need to- need to leave. Have to get out - get out..."
She twirled about, unknowingly preparing herself to head the exact way she had come...yet someone, or something blocked her path.
"Y-You."
"Oh hai..."
She froze in fright at the horrible monstrosity before her. She couldn't even find the will to scream. Her mind was melting down, and a voice within echoed over and over:
"Come with me... and you'll be... in a world of pure imagination..."
"N-NO!" she cried.
At that, summoning her will, she twirled about and took off into the night.
"COME WITH ME AND YOU'LL GET A BULLET THROUGH YOUR'S!" she shrieked.
In the meantime... the entity just stood there, menacingly...
Scratching its flank.
It gave a long sigh. "I just wanted to show her my twig collection..."
Seventy Years Later - Modern Times
"Soooo yeah... that's pretty much how most of my encounters go," Slendermane shrugged, his voice echoing through the minds of four nearby entities: all sitting within Zecora's hut. "And I gotta say... that was one of my first for a long while. Not many ponies came in here after the whole Nightmare Moon thing. God - what a bitch..."
The group raised their eyebrows.
"My dearest Slendermane," Zecora said soothingly. "Why is it that you hate your old flame?"
Slendermane sighed. "Well... cus I thought she was like me, Pride. Totally creepy and stuff but - well - you know, not evil? But nope - turns out she was just another control freak with envy issues..."
"So in other words - she's just like you," a large, shadow-like Timberwolf cackled. "Only more powerful."
The Slendermane would have shot him a death glare if he had visible eyes. "Who invited you again?"
"It's a monthly meeting, everyone's invited," he said, smirking. "So - here I am!"
"Yay..."
"Be nice, Wrath," a certain yellow pegasus, known as Fluttershy in the outside world, peeped. "Can't you see poor Fear is going through something?"
"He 'goes through something' every friggin' month," the shadow wolf grunted. "You need to get your crap together, Slendy ole' boy."
Slendermane grunted. "How many times do I have to tell you I hate that nickname?"
Wrath smirked. "An how many times do I have to tell you that I don't give a-"
Suddenly, the fifth entity sighed, shaking her head. She was a large, beautiful changeling, but a blue, almost depressive aura about her. "The more things change, the more they stay the same..."
"Oh great," Wrath snorted. "What are you on about now, Sorrow? Please don't tell me you're going to start crying again..."
Zecora gave him the evil eye, to which he merely chuckled at.
"I-I'm not going to cry," she she said, swallowing hard. "I-I'm just saying... these meetings seem to have a particular pattern."
Zecora took her gaze off Wrath, before smiling at her. "I believe we're making headway, if you don't mind my say. I just believe he needs a little more sway..."
"S-Same here," Fluttershy smiled. "Slendermane, didn't you say you took up a hobby to pass the time?"
"Well..." Slendermane said, bringing a hoof to his chin and thinking for a second. "It wasn't much of a hobby..."
One week ago, three small Crusaders tread deep into Everfree, bouncing along with merry looks on their faces.
"Alright girls! Today is the day!" Scootaloo grinned.
Sweetie nodded in agreement. "Yeah! I can feel it in my bones! Cryptozoologists?! How did we not think of this before!?"
"Cus we never had the guts to go into the woods til Scootaloo encouraged us!" Apple Bloom giggled.
She put on a cocky grin. "Keep it comin' - keep it comin'!" she sad in a fake, haughty tone, before chuckling. "Na I'm just kidding. I just hope the Slendermane is as scary as they say!"
"I bet hes terrifying!" Apple Bloom beamed. "Granny said he scared the seeds out of her when she was young!"
"If he isn't just an old pony's tale," Sweetie pointed out.
Apple Bloom shot her a dirty look. "You callin' my granny a liar?"
Sweetie quickly shook her head. "No, I'm saying your granny was looking out for you!" she explained. "What a better way to keep ponies out of the forest then to create a terrifying, horrible, evil monster who's only purpose is to gobble ponies up! Or worse..."
"Yeah," Scootaloo said spookily. "Who knows what other horrid, unspeakable things he could be up to even now-"
Suddenly, the group paused, staring ahead. Scootaloo did the same.
There stood the Slendermane, menacing and evil as could be as he... juggled ten rocks with his tendrils. After a second, he turned his head towards them.
"..."
The Crusaders stared at him blankly.
"...?"
Their pupils dilated in horror.
...
...
"Wat?"
They screamed at the top of their lungs."EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!"
At that, they turned, and darted out of the woods."
"Oh son of a-" Slendermane cried, dropping the rocks. "Why is everything I do scary?!"
"Ugh- Slendermane, get it through your thick, freaky skull -" Wrath grunted. "The reason everything you do is scary is because you're a manifestation of fear!"
"He is correct," Pride sighed. "You passively generate fear in-"
"-Anypony nearby," he sighed. "Yeah - I know, I get it. I'm supposed to be a monster."
Fluttershy frowned in sympathy, before nuzzling the entity slightly. "Slendy... you're not a monster... nobody is a monster..."
"I am!" Wrath said proudly.
Fluttershy nodded to the side, sighing. "Except for Wrath... um- no offense."
"Yeah, that's true."
"Agreed."
He merely shrugged. "I do what I do cus I do what I do."
"Slendermane," Pride said, furrowing her brow. "How about we get to the bottom of this: what exactly keeps you in this abyss? Every month it's the same old thing: you subtly hint that you hate your job but the reason why you never sing."
"She's right. Y-You're in a safe place," Sorrow said softly. "You can tell us anything."
"Yes, you're among friends!"
Wrath gave a snort. "You people are not my friends. Friends are for the weak."
Sorrow wimpered.
"Especially you, Sorrow," he cackled.
Fluttershy then narrowed her eyes, surprising everyone in the room. "A-And with you as a friend, who needs enemies?!" she snapped.
"Yeah - well - your pets are gay and I hope they all die in a fire, Kindness," he grinned.
Fluttershy squeaked.
"Shut up, Wrath, you friggin' a-hole, Slendermane grunted, before taking a deep breath. "And yeah- alright... fine then... You wanna know what's bothering me?"
Wrath rolled his eyes. "This is me not caring-"
He shut up when he was elbowed in the rib by Pride.
"Ouch, what the-"
He was elbowed again, silencing him. He gritted his sharpened teeth, hissing.
"We would be glad to hear what sorrows you endear," Zecora offered.
"Alright then," Slendermane grunted. "You called this a job earlier, Zecora, but it isn't a job. A job you can quit, get promoted, or heck, even get fired. However, what I'm doing? It isn't a job. All of you know this. I am the manifestation of the Everfree Forest's fear, and though I have a certain degree of free will, I have a purpose that was determined before I was even born, if you can even call that. I keep people out of the woods. Why do I do this? I have no idea. Only the forest itself knows. But what I do know is that every time someone dwells too deep, I have this overriding will to scare them away. That is where my free will ends. He gave a dark chuckle. It's funny really: even the name of this place is a tease. Everfree Forest my blank flank! That is why I can never grow... never change... not while I'm here..."
...
The group grew silent at that for a moment: even Wrath.
Finally, Sorrow wiped away a few quiet tears. "W-What are you trying to say?" she asked.
Slendermare gave another sigh. "I'm don't know - I guess I'm saying that... I want something new. I mean - you guys are good company, save for Wrath-"
"Well buck you too, buddy, not that I care...."
"But - I'm sick of just sitting in the woods all day waiting for ponies to scare away. Yeah- I get it, my role is important, but why do I have to do it twenty-four seven?" He glanced at Zecora and Fluttershy. "You two certainly don't..."
Fluttershy coughed, blushing slightly. "Well - um..."
Zecora closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "It's just..."
"Oh quit beating around the friggin' bush," Wrath growled. "You wanna start going into town, don't you? Well, that would be fine and dandy if you didn't look like - and have the reputation as - a creepy bastard who psychologically torments, kidnaps, and kills ponies!"
"But that isn't me!" Slendermane cried. "Those are just stories and legends! I've never killed anypony - the things that live here do that!"
"It doesn't matter," Wrath grunted, rolling his glowing yellow eyes. "You'd be screwed if you tried to go into town. They'd be throwing every weapon they have at you! Magic, arrows, explosives, pies, you name it! You're just too freaky!"
"What if I were to be introduced?" Slendermane said pleadingly. "Zecora, you could do that for me, couldn't you?"
"That would not be such a good plan," she sighed. "That may raise suspicions that perhaps I'm not who I say I am..."
Slendermane laughed sarcastically. "Why do you need to hide it?! Why do any of us need to hide it?! We're manifestations of the Everfree Forest's emotions: big friggin' deal! That doesn't make us monsters, or bad people, or douchebags! Well - save for Wrath."
"Yeah"
"Mhmmm..."
"Very true... if you don't min me saying..."
"Yep," he shrugged. "Cry more?"
Pride shook her head. "Ponies fear what they don't understand... this is why I say I'm merely from a far away land."
"You know it's true," Fluttershy whispered. "And even with that: when Pride first started coming to town, all of my friends were afraid of her just because she was a zebra." She then gave Zecora an apologetic smile. "Sorry I had to play along..."
"Not to worry, Kindness: all is well, your motives were fine and swell," Pride shrugged.
"And there we have it," Wrath groaned. "Can I leave now? These meetings are stupid and I want to go terrorize Sleepy Hallow. Those pricks are chopping down our trees!" He put on a wicked grin. "Hehe... well I suppose I'll just have to... 'speak' for them, huh?"
"In a few minutes," Zecora muttered. "Slendermane... you can't go into Ponyville. Though of course it won't get you killed, it would upset the balance they have fulfilled."
Slendermane shook his head. "B-But... isn't it what's on the inside that counts? If I prove to them I'm a decent person-"
Wrath gave a vicious cackle. "This is assuming you actually are a decent person."
"Be quiet, you big meanie!" Fluttershy spat.
"Ohohoho, look who has her big girl dress on today?" Wrath grinned. "Too afraid to hear me out, Slendermane? I thought you were fear..."
He stood stoically.
"Have you ever once thought that maybe the reason people are so afraid of you isn't just because you scare them, or because of the legends, or even the passive fear thing: maybe it just has to do with the fact they can just sense something hideous about you? That maybe - deep down - they know you're nothing just but an unknown force of nature - and nature can be quite... wrathful."
"He's not you," Sorrow muttered.
"Doesn't matter. His very presence generates fear," Wrath shrugged. "Save to us, of course. And who's not to say that his look alone isn't enough to scream 'DOES NOT BELONG!'"
"I-I... what do you mean?"
"I mean we're all freaks -" Wrath grinned. "No other forests are literally 'alive', if you know what I mean, are they? Our very existence, just like the Everfree Forest itself, is just... wrong. Maybe this is why Princess Celestia and Luna constantly ignore us - why they haven't bothered to make contact with us for eons, save for miss Element of Kindness here!"
Fluttershy sagged a guilty head.
He then began to pace around the room. "But you know what? Who cares! Let us be who we are! Embrace it, damn it!"
He then glared at Slendermane, who glanced away from him.
"And that goes for you, too, Slendermane of the Deep Woods," Wrath said slowly, with perhaps a hint of sympathy in his voice. "Embrace it, because If you don't, you're never going to be happy."
"..."
The meeting closed soon after that, with the group departing in silence. Slendermane sauntered into the forest with his head sagging. It was quiet, no animals liked to be around him. And like usual: he was alone with his echoing thoughts.
Embrace it, because if you don't, you're never going to be happy.
If you don't, you're never going to be happy.
Never going to be happy.
...
He sighed. "Maybe Wrath was right... what if we really aren't supposed to exist? What if people know that there's something inherently wrong with us. Maybe that's why Fluttershy is so shy: people are just unnerved around her. Maybe that was the reason Zecora couldn't be accepted so easily in Ponyville. And if they had a hard time: how could I ever try to enjoy the outside world?"
"Are you so sure about that?" a voice suddenly called nearby.
He twirled about, excitement pounding in his heart. "Hello?"
"Hello to you too, old friend," it called again, this time closer..
Slendermane remained silent, thinking, before he recognized who it was...
"Oh - it's you.... What do you want?" he spat.
"To help," Princess Luna said, stepping out of the brush.
Slendermane was not too thrilled to see her. "Like you did a thousand years ago? When you called me a freak!"
"You know very well that it wasn't me," Luna said patiently.
"Oh, that's right. It wasn't you! The real you wouldn't even bother talking to me!"
...
Slendermane tapped a hoof, waiting for her response.
"I apologize," Luna said, swallowing hard. "I was- afraid."
Slendermane huffed. "Welcome to the club..." He then cocked his head. "But I have to wonder - why aren't you now?"
Luna put on a small smile. "Let's just say my time as Nightmare Moon wasn't... completely unproductive." She began to circle the Eldrich Abomination. "I did get a chance to learn who you are, after all. Who you really are, that is. And even better yet: I seem to have inherited her ability to squelch the fear you... radiate."
He gave an apologetic sigh. "Heh... well that's cool, I guess. Sorry for being so rude..."
"I was the one who was being rude all those years ago," Luna said sorrowfully, continuing to circle him. "And it's the reason I have come to help you. You are an elusive one in the dreamscape, you know. I can barely ever even see into your mind, let alone access it..."
"Mph - same for you. I can usually read minds pretty easily, but yours is -" He then gave a cough. "Errrr- wait a minute. I take that back. Um - why are you so overly concerned about your image?"
Her eyes widened. She paused in her circling. "W-What?"
"You know... body image?"
"I am not concerned about my image!"
"Yeah you are..." he chuckled.
"Am not!"
"Are too..."
...
...
Princess Luna flushed furiously. "Alright! Alright! Do my hips look big?! Tia says that Moon Pies can go right towards them! Half the time I don't know if she's, what does she call it - 'Trolling' me or not."
Slendermane shrugged. "Heh... well, you look alright to me, but I'm no expert."
"J-Just... alright?" Luna peeped.
Slendermane groaned. "What are you trying to enter a beauty peagent or something?" he asked, before facehoofing. "Oooooh wait... I see, same old sibling rivalry... Sorrow was right: things never do change."
"Enough!" Luna thundered, emitting gale force winds that caused Slendermane's tendrils to dance and wiggle. Luna winced. "Er - sorry. Royal Canterlot Habit..."
Slendermane slowly nodded, composing himself. "Right, then."
"Anyway - as I was saying before," she muttered. "Your dreams are hard to access... but a few nights ago I was finally able to see into one..."
"... What'd you see? You're not going to go all Sealmund Froyd on me, are you?"
"How do you even know about him?" Luna asked. "I thought you were trapped in here!"
He shrugged. "I scared this one purple pony and made her drop a few books. Now I'm all cultured in stuff! And with that in mind, I'd like to say that sometimes a cigar... is not a peni-"
Luna rolled her eyes, coughing. "No... I saw nothing of... that sort, overcompensating aside. I saw that you were... uncontent... perhaps even afraid?"
Slendermane snorted. "Hah! Me, afraid?! Pffft - why would I be afraid!? I am fear! I mean - could you really um... sense that?"
"You're afraid of spending eternity alone," Luna sighed. "I felt a similar way, once. And as Princess of the Night, it is my duty to help every citizen that I see in need. And you, Slendermane, are a citizen of Equestria, are you not?"
Slendermane chuckled darkly. "Sure, just let me get my birth certificate..."
"Very funny," Luna grunted. "Your purpose is a noble one, Slendermane of the Deep Woods. Nopony is more deservant of a rest..."
"You mean 'nofreak', right? Pony doesn't really apply to me..." he sighed.
Luna narrowed her eyes. "Slendermane: I want to tell you something that took eons for me to learn. You are who you are: and only once you accept that can others accept you."
"Yuh-huh... easier said than done..." he groaned.
"You just need to understand how you fit into the bigger picture," Luna said, smiling. And suddenly, her horn began to glow...
Slendermane began to back away. "Watcha doin? I'm not going to go through some crazy acid-trip vision am I?"
"Nope." And as quickly as it began, her horn dimmed. "Done."
"Done what?"
"I cast a spell on you that should negate your passive ability to spread fear."
Slendermane did a double take. "W-What?! Wait - are you serious?"
Luna nodded.
He shook his head. "So.... wait - this means that if I'm around regular ponies - they won't get all anxious?"
"That is correct..."
His tendrils began to dance about excitedly. "Luna - Princess Luna - do you know what this means?!"
Luna smiled. "That you now have the confidence to-"
"Yeah! I might be able to have a chance at - whatever ponies outside the woods do!"
"By that you mean - have fun, make friends, and partake in joyous games?" Luna suggsted. "I for one particular enjoy 'Apple Bobbing'."
"Yeah! Stuff like that!" the Slendermane giggled, before letting loose a hearty laugh. "By the woods - this - this could be my chance! I mean - I'll still need to fulfill my purpose, but who cares?! I might be able to meet people now - to hang out with them! I can prove to myself that I'm not some abstract spawn of nature! I'm capable of much more!"
Suddenly, his tendrils encircled Luna, gripping her in a strangling hug. "Thank you so-so-so-so-so much! This is going to be totally awesome!"
"Slendermane... I - can't....... breath-" she huffed.
"Oh, sorry," he chuckled, dropping her and turning about. "I can't wait any longer! I wanna head into town now! My gosh, I can't wait to tell Fluttershy and Zecora! And to rub it in Wrath's face... hehe! But yeah, I'm burning moonlight! TO PONYVILLE, AWAY!"
He then began to gallop off.
"Wait!" Luna said, still panting. "Perhaps it would be best if I were to-"
Before she could finish, however, he was gone, leaving Luna alone.
She sighed heavily, before closing her eyes in annoyance.
"Crap."